Red Vs Blue: Operation Earthbound
by AnimeHat
Summary: The story of the Freelancer agents aboard the Mother of Invention was told in Season 10 of RvB, but what happened to the others? After the collapse of Project Freelancer, Agent Delaware discovers that one final AI fragment, Zeta, carries in its memory the plans for one final mission laid out by the Director himself: Operation Earthbound. (Original characters, set in RvB universe)
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

"_Director, there is no denying that Project Freelancer is on the verge of collapse."_

"_I am aware, Counselor. I should be the one person in the universe that knows that better than anyone."_

"_Sir, you do know that there is another AI fragment still in the field, correct?"_

"_Were you under the impression that I had forgotten? It is in the possession of Agent Delaware."_

"_Should we not recover it while we still can?"_

"_No, Counselor. I have ruined the lives of enough innocent agents. Zeta has a higher purpose than what we could ever use it for. I trust that Delaware will use it wisely."_

"_A higher purpose, sir?"_

"_Our last resort. Operation Earthbound."_

Delaware awoke to the sound of static in his helmet radio. It crackled and hurt his ears, like the ringing of an explosion. Words soon became decipherable.

"...Has been obliterated. I repeat, Project Freelancer Battleship _Asgard_ has been obliterated. We are now deploying ground troops to scavenge the wreckage. We will capture any survivors and kill all who resist."

"_You hear that?"_ asked a familiar voice. Zeta. _"They'll be coming for us soon. You'd better get it together, or the UNSC will use you for target practice."_

"Shit," Delaware groaned as he held his forehead. He was beginning to remember. He and Vermont had managed to escape the _Asgard _before it exploded, only to be gunned down in a Pelican. Talk about close calls.

His sight began to return. He was still at the controls of the Pelican, but they hadn't been as lucky as him. All of the instruments were completely marred, some beginning to catch fire. He unbuckled himself from the seat and put his feet against the cockpit door. He forced it open and regained his balance. Before he climbed out, he turned to see the passenger seat.

"Vermont, are you okay-"

Vermont's head hung forward and showed no signs of movement. Her seatbelt was still buckled.

"No," said Delaware, "no, no, no, no!"

He desperately fiddled with the buckle and managed to release it. He grabbed her shoulders and shook her back and forth, trying to rouse her.

"Danny, listen to me! Danny! You can't die on me now! Not here!"

No response. She remained limp. The harsh sunlight caught her green armor and reflected in Delaware's eyes.

Zeta's cerulean hologram materialized next to him.

"_I've already scanned her vitals, Del. She's passed. There's nothing you can do."_

"It won't end like this," Delaware insisted. He picked her body up out of the seat and stepped out of the Pelican onto desert sand. Wreckage surrounded him on all sides.

Zeta's hologram moved closer to him. _"This is pointless. Carrying a corpse will only make it easier for the scouts to catch you."_

"I don't give a damn!"

"_Del, you're distraught at the death of a comrade. Think about this-"_

"I SAID I DON'T GIVE A DAMN!"

Zeta remained silent. His hologram disappeared and Delaware began to slowly trek across the sand. He carried her through the wreckage until he reached a nearby structure. An ancient temple of some kind, he didn't care. What mattered now was finding a place to rest.

"Del! Over here!"

He turned towards the sound of the voice. In the shade of one of the structures, an agent waved to him while another sat in the driver's seat of a warthog. Their respective suits were yellow and white. California and Alaska.

California ran over to meet him. "You're alive! We were wondering how many managed to make it out. What happened to…"

Delaware walked past him without speaking, determined to lay Vermont's body in the shade. California realized what Delaware's cold shoulder meant.

"Aw, hell," he muttered.

Delaware reached the wall of the structure and laid her body down on the ground. He knelt over it and felt sadness rush through him.

Alaska moved behind Delaware and attempted to put his hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Del. We all know how much she meant to you…"

California held his hand back.

"Don't. Let the man be."

Delaware felt tears roll down his face inside his helmet. Why? Why did it have to be this way? What had he done wrong? What crime had he committed to receive this kind of cosmic punishment? Were he and Vermont never meant to be in the first place? His mind was plagued with questions that he couldn't escape from.

He heard Zeta make an observation while he knelt there.

"_I still have yet to understand why humans take death so seriously."_

"That's IT!" Delaware yelled. He got up and took off his helmet, throwing it in the sand. The bright orange reflected back at him.

"Del, what are you doing?" Alaska asked. He didn't answer and stormed away from them, walking along the wall of the structure.

"_What's your problem, Del?"_ Zeta asked in his ear. _"I was just stating my thoughts."_ Zeta materialized next to him as he walked.

"You want to know what my problem is?" he yelled, "YOU'RE my problem! I didn't ASK to be implanted with an AI fragment! Ever since I got you, you've done nothing except make snarky remarks and point out everything I've done wrong! In the middle of COMBAT, no less!

"_That's my job!"_ he replied. _"I'm suppose to help you evaluate your skills in order to adjust for the next mission!"_

"You're suppose to ENHANCE my performance! If anything, you've slowed me down!"

"_Perhaps if you actually follow my advice, you wouldn't get into such messes! You were lucky that the scouts didn't find you, carrying dead weight in your arms like that!"_

Delaware stopped mid walk. "You don't know ANYTHING about humans, do you?"

"_I'm an AI! I'm here to learn about you, but how can I deduce anything when you act so erratically?"_

Delaware pulled a knife out of a holster on his waist and put it to his chest. "They put you in me, I can take you out!"

"_You couldn't! Self-operation is incredibly stupid, not to mention dangerous!"_

"Try me."

Zeta paused. If he'd learned anything about Delaware from their time together, it's that he was a man of his word.

"_Forget it,"_ Zeta said. _"If you want to cut yourself open, go ahead."_

His hologram disappeared. Delaware stood there, holding the knife to his chest. He lowered it and studied the blade. At the bottom of the blade, "D.V." was inscribed into the metal. Danny's initials. It was one of the blades Vermont had made for him.

Delaware realized that the blade was a hunting knife, not meant for combat. At least, that's what he was told. He scolded himself for being incorrectly equipped yet again. He ran his thumb over the initials, cleaning off the dust from his holster.

In that moment, Delaware was proud of everything he'd done as a Freelancer. The missions he'd completed. The firefights he'd survived. He knew that Vermont would be proud of him too. He began to regret being so harsh to Zeta.

On the opposite side of the building, he found a ramp leading to the top of a raised platform. He walked up and saw that the weathered structure was long and flat like a landing strip.

To his left was the _Asgard's _graveyard. The UNSC troops were very thorough, he gave them that. The main body of the ship had been completely broken apart. It was broken into so many pieces one would never guess that it was once Project Freelancer's second best vessel.

A desert wind blew through his black hair. Vermont would have scolded him for it being so messy. Delaware's appearance was often unkempt, but his superiors didn't complain since he was one of the top agents aboard The _Asgard._ Or, was, to be more accurate.

He ran his finger along the scar underneath his right eye. A souvenir from a mission in his early days that had nearly gone sour. If Vermont and California hadn't been there, he'd probably wouldn't be standing where he was now. His teammates were so important to him, he was glad that others had managed to make it out besides him…

That's what Zeta was, too. A teammate.

"Zeta, are you there?" He asked.

Nothing. All he could hear was the crackling of flames in the distance.

"Come on, Zeta, I'm sorry for what I said." Zeta's voice appeared in his head.

"_Why are you apologizing to an AI? It's not like I'm human."_

"Well, you're not like other AI. You and I both know that."

"_That doesn't mean you should treat me any differently than you would another computer."_

Delaware sighed. He looked back at the wreckage for a moment, then turned to face the main building of the temple. It rose high in the air, like a monument of some kind.

"You're my friend, Zeta."

There was silence for a moment. Delaware couldn't see Zeta's expression, but he guessed that he'd been stunned. Zeta materialized in front of him.

"_Wait… What?"_

"I said you're my friend."

"_You can't be… Humans and AI aren't 'friends,' Nathan!"_

Delaware looked him in the eye. "How long have we been partners, Zeta?"

"_Two years, three months, seventeen days, and five hours."_

"What have you learned about me in that time?"

"_Your name is Nathan Julius Draco. You were given the designation 'Agent Delaware' upon joining Project Freelancer by Director Leonard Church. You are one of the Project's top agents, almost on par with the agents aboard The Mother of Invention. You are a skilled fighter and often acknowledged as such by both superiors and teammates. You have participated in a total of 64 official missions as an agent, half of which I was present for. You are headstrong and sometimes impulsive, but your skill in combat makes up for it. You have earned the name "The Crimson Knight of The Asgard" for your performance."_

"And what else?"

"_You are a loyal teammate and you always follow through on your promises."_

"When I say you are my friend, I mean it."

Zeta closed his eyes, pausing for a moment, then reopened them and looked directly at Delaware.

"_Del, you always complained that I never assisted you in combat. Never helped operate your equipment. That's because it's not what I was designed to do."_

Confusion broke across Delaware's face. "What do you mean?"

"_I mean I don't have the capability to actually enhance your performance. I was forbidden from telling you, until now. Protocol dictates that I'm only allowed to reveal my true purpose in an emergency. And I'm almost certain that this counts as an emergency."_

"True purpose… Zeta, what are you talking about?"

"_The mission that the Director tasked me with. Operation Earthbound."_

"Earthbound?"

"_A backup plan, of sorts. The Director wagered that Project Freelancer wouldn't last forever and that some of his more-questionable activities would be brought to light. My memory contains all of the necessary plans and schematics for mapping an escape route to your homeworld. Planet Earth."_

Delaware took a moment to process the info. A backup plan?

"What sort of danger are we in that we would need to get back to Earth?"

"_The UNSC has put out a warrant for the Director's arrest, as well as the total annihilation of Project Freelancer as it exists now. They're hunting down agents, Del. He knew that the agents were innocent, but that the government wouldn't see it that way. If we can get back to Earth, I can help you go undercover. Start a new life. It's what I've been programmed to do."_

They both stayed silent for awhile. Delaware thought about what the Director could have to hide from the agents that would warrant the total destruction of their organization. He supposed that he would have time to ask questions when they were somewhere safe.

"Okay," he said, "Let's get out of here."

Delaware walked back down the slope and around the structure to see that California and Alaska were taking inventory on what they had managed to escape the crash with. They had begun laying out guns and supplies that were previously Warthog cargo. Alaska counted medpacks while California loaded his rifle. California looked up to see him coming.

"Hey, look who managed to come to terms with himself. So what are we going to do, chief? It's your call."

"He's right," said Alaska. "You're technically still our captain. You decide whether we leave or stay."

"UNSC scouts have probably finished scavenging The_ Asgard _by now," said Delaware. "We should move out at the first opportunity."

"Sounds good to me," said California. "What are we… Going to do about Vermont? We can't really carry her with us."

"I'll handle it." The tone in Delaware's voice became deeper with his last statement. He picked up Vermont's body and carried her back around the structure.

There was a large entrance into the main building of the temple. The inside was an open corridor with a patch of sunlit sand at the very center. Delaware laid her body down on the sand and removed her helmet. Her long, dark red hair moved with the helmet. Her blue eyes were still open.

He lifter her head up and pressed her hair against the bottom of her head. With two fingers, he closed her eyes and laid her head back down on the ground.

Delaware carried sand in armfuls and covered her body entirely. Before he left the temple, he turned back to see rays of sunlight shining down on her grave.

Zeta appeared next to him._ "Will anyone ever come here and find her?"_

"No one needs to," Delaware said, "As long as I remember her."

A wind echoed through the temple as he passed through the archway.

He went back to the Warthog to find the two waiting for him. Alaska passed him a spare rifle as Delaware climbed in the driver's seat.

"Hop in, we're leaving."

"Captain, don't forget this," said California. He handed Delaware his helmet. He held it in his hands for a moment, staring at the visor. The bright desert seemed to make the orange of his armor more intense. He turned the helmet around and slipped it on his head.

Alaska climbed in the passenger seat while California stood at the gun mount in the back.

"Sir, what's our destination?" asked Alaska.

"Home."

Delaware put the Warthog in gear and drove away from the temple, crossing over a dune and spraying sand in the wind behind them.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Out of the frying pan and into the really humid oven," thought Delaware.

He used his hunting knife to hack through the foliage in his path. Alaska trailed behind him, eagerly observing the jungle like a child in a museum. California brought up the rear with SMG in hand.

"Zeta, how close are we to the storage facility?" Delaware asked.

"_Nearly there. The entrance is less than thirty meters away."_

"Hey, Captain!" interjected California, "Remind me why we need to find this offsite building in the middle of God-knows-where?"

"Because it's been days since we last had decent supplies," he explained between slices, "and this old Freelancer facility is our best bet for restocking."

California noticed that Alaska was still staring in awe at every bush and tree they passed. Was it really that interesting? He poked him in the back with the butt of his gun. Alaska snapped forward with surprise.

"What are you gawking at?" he asked. Alaska recomposed himself.

"Well, I- I've never been in a jungle before. There's so many kinds of exotic fauna, I just thought I would try to see as much of it as I could."

California chuckled. "You're a real nerd, you know that?" he sneered. "Agent Alaska, aka Mr. Encyclopedia Britannica!"

"Shut up!" Alaska stuttered.

"If you two are done, we're here," Delaware interrupted.

They looked up to see that they had arrived at a large stone building. The walls rose high up in the air, but there were no visible entrances.

They approached the side facing them and Delaware pressed in on a panel that was eye-height. The panel slid to the right, revealing a control terminal with the anagram "F.I.L.S.S." at the top.

"_Hello!" _an energetic digital voice said, _"Thank you for using the Freelancer Integrated Logistics and Security System, but you may call me Phyllis! You have reached Project Freelancer Offsite Storage Facility B34. Please identify yourself to verify entry."_

"Hey, it's Phyllis!" California said to the side. Delaware stepped closer to the terminal.

"Agent Delaware, Captain of Asgard Squadron Alpha. I request access to all supplies and equipment available at this facility."

"_Welcome, Agent Delaware! I'm sorry, but I am not allowed to grant anyone access to this facility, even agents."_

"Phyllis, who gave you this order?"

"_The Director himself. I'm afraid that you will have to contact a superior officer before I can permit you entrance."_

"I don't have time for that, Phyllis. We need access, otherwise-"

Zeta appeared next to him. _"Let me handle this," _he said.

Zeta's hologram merged with the terminal and the screen became covered in static. Garbled bits of Phyllis' speech attempted to warn of a system intrusion, but she was cut off by a short buzz. She began to speak again, but it was as if she was replaying a prerecorded message.

"_Welcome back, Director! Allow me to open the passage for you."_

To their left, a portion of the wall slid slowly to the side, revealing an entrance to the facility.

"Why would Phyllis greet us as the 'The Director?'" asked California.

"Probably because The Director reserved private access to this building," Alaska answered.

Zeta reappeared in front of them. _"Phyllis should be much more cooperative now," _he smirked.

They entered the connecting hallway. Luminescent blue lights surrounded them as they approached the opposing door. It slid open when they were within a few feet of it, revealing a large warehouse. Storage crates were stacked almost to the ceiling with a few open areas in between. Warm jungle light flooded through windows near the ceiling. They stepped on to an elevated walkway and followed it to their left and down a set of stairs.

Dusty weaponry and random pieces of armor littered the floor. There were multiple colors of helmets, but mostly red and blue. They explored for a while until Delaware broke the silence.

"Alaska, I want you to find the power control and see if you can get this place up and running. Cal, come with me. We need to see if we can find some decent supplies."

"Yes, sir!" they replied in unison.

Alaska worked his way through the maze of crates to the far side of the room where another staircase connected to the walkway. He followed the path to a windowed room overlooking the entire warehouse. A set of switches and buttons collected dust across from the door.

As he investigated, Delaware and California began to break open the metal crates. Delaware pounded the butt of his rifle against the lock, eventually smashing it. He flung the doors open. He could smell something musty through his helmet.

"Whatever's here, it's been here for a while," he mused.

He turned his helmet flashlight on to reveal three long rows of what appeared to be charcoal-black armor. It was almost as if they were in perfect form and prepared for combat.

"Captain!" California yelled

Delaware turned to see California kneeling over the body of a dead soldier next to the crate, still in full armor. It was scraped and dented all over. There was a large hole in the helmet visor, as if a rock shaped projectile had shot straight through it. Strangely, there was no hole on the back side.

"What do you think happened here?" he asked.

"Looks like this guy got into a fight. A bad one. And I have a feeling that whatever killed him might still be here…"

Alaska patched in though their helmet radios. _"Captain, I've found the central power switch. It appears to be connected to solar power, probably from panels on top of this building. Should I activate it?"_

"Go ahead. We need these lights on, it's way too dark in here."

In an instant, flood lights on the ceiling flashed on, lighting up almost every inch of the warehouse floor.

There was some clammering behind them. Delaware and California turned to see one of the suits of armor approaching them. It's helmet visor flashed on. It stopped and made a fist, punching its other palm. It made a motion like it was cracking its neck, but there were mechanical snaps instead of human muscles. More suits of armor, mimicking the first's actions, walked up behind it. A crackling, low voice addressed them.

"_You have no idea what kind of trouble you're in,"_ the armor said.

"Androids!" yelled Delaware. "Scatter!"

He ducked for cover behind a crate. California turned to run, but wasn't fast enough. Three androids charged him from behind.

Two grabbed his arms and a third used his shoulders as bracers and cartwheeled over his head, punching him in the face upon landing. The other two let go as soon as he was hit. He flew backwards into a crate, denting the metal on impact. He attempted to get up and drew his pistol, but the same androids that double teamed him before grabbed him again and flung him towards the other. It disarmed him and used the pistol to hit him over the head.

Delaware watched the scene unfold from behind the corner of a crate. An android attempted to round the corner after it had seen the edge of his helmet, but he used the butt of his rifle to bash it in the chest as soon as it came into view.

"Zeta, what are these?!" he shouted.

"_Military-grade androids. Combat robots. They seem to be modeled in the appearance and fighting style of Agent Texas."_

"Tex? Why would there be robot versions of Tex in some abandoned warehouse?!"

"_Probably another one of The Director's 'projects.' Also probably why security was so tight on the way in. I can analyze their origin given more data, but you'll have to get up close and personal with them."_

"We've always got to do it the hard way, don't we?"

"_What other way would there be?"_

The three androids stood in combat stances in a triangle around California. He stood up and dodged the leader's incoming punch. As he leaned to avoid, he slipped off the shotgun strapped to his shoulder and aimed it directly at the attacking android. He cocked it and immediately pulled the trigger. Its front visor exploded upon close impact with the lead, then fell backwards as electricity sparked from the severed wires. The other two androids caught him off guard and punched his head from behind, knocking him back down to the ground.

Delaware rounded the corner and drew two pistols from each side. He kicked one of the androids in the back. The other turned to him as he aimed the left pistol to shoot. It disarmed him and threw the pistol to the ground, but speed was his advantage. He immediately flipped around and aimed the other pistol directly at its helmet. In the second that it took for it to process the new situation, he shot the android point blank.

"Come on." He offered his hand to California. "Let's show these machines what we can do."

California grabbed it and pulled himself up. "Couldn't have said it better, captain," he responded.

Delaware returned his pistols to the holsters at his sides. He and California both drew rifles from their backs and rounded the corner of another crate to see an open area where several androids milled around, looking for their targets. They ducked behind a concrete barrier on the outer edge, just high enough that their enemies couldn't spot them.

"On my mark," whispered Delaware. California nodded in return. They peaked over the edge of the barrier.

"Fire!" They both pulled their rifles over the cover and unleashed a shower of bullets. The unsuspecting androids were quickly mowed down. They continued until each of them had hit the floor.

As they turned around and prepared to stand up, an android had crept up on them and held two rifles at each of their heads.

"Crap," California muttered.

A shot rang through the air and the android fell over backwards, dropping both of its weapons. It was instantly motionless. Retracing the bullet's path, they turned to see Alaska wielding a sniper rifle on the other side of the room, still on the elevated walkway.

"I have you covered, chief," Alaska said through the helmet radio.


End file.
